~ Famous Psychologists ~

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Timothy Leary



Timothy Francis Leary, an American psychologist and writer renowned for his persuasion towards psychedelic drugs was born on October 22, 1920 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the only child of his parents. His father was of Irish-American descent and a dentist by profession. At the young age of 13, his father left his wife Abigail Ferris.

After graduating from Springfield’s Classical High School, Leary attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. This lasted from 1938 to June 1940. Due to increasing pressure from his father, he enrolled himself as a cadet in the United States Military Academy at West Point. His performance was very low during the initial months as he failed to report infractions while on duty. Apparently, he violated the Academy’s honor code and was found to be engaging in drinking which he did not admit to. Thus he was told to resign by the committee which he refused. Because of this, he was completely ignored by his fellow cadets which were a trick on their part to make him resign. This treatment continued till the second year which finally made his mother appeal to a family friend named Senator David I Walsh head of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee who conducted a personal investigation to reveal the truth. However, the Honor Committee decided that it would abide by the court orders which ultimately left Leary with no choice but to resign. Moreover, he claimed that it was the most honest trial ever. Leary caught himself into many legal troubles because of his work. He conducted experiments such as Concord Prison Experiment and Marsh Chapel Experiment under the Harvard Psilocybin Project in Harvard University at a time when drugs such as LSD and psilocybin were legal. The Concord Prison experiment analysed the effects of psilocybin on prisoner who were rehabilitated. 36 prisoners promised to give up their criminal activities having undergone this experience. Although the results produced were quite useful, nonetheless Leary and his colleague Richard Alpert were expelled from the university. Leary was of the view that LSD was of potential use in psychiatry. Many such catch phrases were popularized by him such as set and setting, think for yourself, turn on, turn in, drop out and question authority. In addition, his book Exo-Psychology developed the eight circuit model of consciousness. Besides, he spoke and wrote about transhumanist concepts involving life extension, space migration and intelligence increase.

He was described as the most dangerous man in America by President Richard Nixon. Leary was also arrested on regular basis during the 1960’s and 1970’s and held as prisoner. At the age of 75, Leary died on May 31, 1996. His last word to his son was “beautiful”.

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Urie Bronfenbrenner



A Russian American psychologist, Urie Brofenbrenner was born on April 29, 1917 to Dr. Alexander Brofenbrenner and Kamenetski Brofenbrenner. At the age of his 6, his family relocated to United States. For a short period of time, they settled Letchworth village in Pittsburgh where his father worked as a research director and clinical psychologist. Broferbrenner attended Cornell University after his graduation from Haverstraw High School and by 1938; he completed his double major in psychology and music. Then he completed his M.A at Harvard University and in 1942, completed his PhD from the University of Michigan. Just shortly after that, he was hired as a psychologist in the army doing many assignments for the Office of Strategic Services and the Army Air Corps. In the administration and research, he worked as an assistant chief psychologist before he accepted the offer from the University of Michigan to work as an assistant professor in Psychology. In 1948, he accepted an offer from Cornell University as a professor in Human development, family studies and psychology. He also served as a faculty member in the board of trustees in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Urie is admired all over the world to develop the innate relationship between research and policy on child development. He was of the view that child development is better applicable when institutional policies motivate studies in a natural environment and theory is best suited in a practical application when it is relevant.

He is most renowned for his Ecological System Theory and co-founder of the Head Start programme situated in United States that provides education to under privileged children. He has segregated four types of systems in the ecological theory i.e. microsystem that deals with family or classroom, mesosytem that consists of two types in interaction, the exosystem which are the external environments that have an impact on the development and the macrosystem that involves a socio-cultural context. In addition, he incorporates a fifth system which is the Chronosystem which are the external systems that evolve over time. Each of these systems has some defined norms, role, and rules that bring about the shape in development. These systems have a striking resemblance to the approach of social networks by James Comer who the pioneer to put forward the idea of social reform that came out as the Social Development Program which describes how children are taught and nurtured in environments that are nested.

Urie Bronfenbrenner received many awards for his work and dedication such as The James McKeen Catell Award from the American Psychological Society and award for lifetime contribution to Developmental Psychology in the service of science and society. His wife was Liese Urie Borfenbrenner with whom he had 6 children. At the age of 88, he died on September 25, 2005 in Ithaca, New York at him home due to diabetes.

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Viktor Frankl



The founder of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis, Victor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist. Also a survivor of the Holocaust, Frankl belonged to the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy.

Viktor Frankl was born into a Jewish family on March 26, 1905. With an early interest in psychology, some of Victor’s earliest works include a paper about the psychology of philosophical thinking which he wrote for the final exam in Gymnasium. Frankl studied medicine at the University of Vienna later specializing in psychiatry and neurology focusing on studies of suicide and depression. While in medical school, Frankl organized and offered a special program to counsel high school students free of charge. As a result of this popular program, not a single student in Vienna committed suicide.

After completing his residency in Neurology and Psychiatry at the Steinhof Psychiatric Hospital in Vienna, Frankl became responsible for the Selbstmörderpavillon where he treated over 30,000 women prone to suicide. He established his own private practice in Psychiatry and Neurology in 1937. Viktor Frankl was deported to the Nazi Theresienstadt Ghetto on September 25, 1942 along with his parents and wife. Here Frankl worked as a general practitioner and was later assigned to the psychiatric care ward. Becoming the head of Neurology and Psychiatry clinic, Frankl established a successful camp for mental health care.

On October 19, 1944, Frankl and his wife were transported to the Auschwitz concentration camp moving on to a Nazi concentration camp called Kaufering where he spent five months as a slave laborer. He moved to camp Türkheim in March where he worked as a doctor before finally being liberated by the Americans on April 27, 1945. Frankl lost all his immediate relatives including his wife, mother and brother to the Holocaust.

Having spent three years in concentration campts, Viktor Frankl returned to Vienna in 1945. It was during this time that Frankl wrote his most famous book Trotzdem Ja Zum Leben Sagen: Ein Psychologe Erlebt das Konzentrationslager, known in English by the title Man’s Search for Meaning (1959). The book revolved around the life on an ordinary concentration camp inmate from the eyes of a psychiatrist. Carefully and deeply analyzing the suffering of other people and himself in the camps, Viktor Frankl concluded that even suffering is meaningful despite the most painful and absurd situations. His experiences have overtime shaped the therapeutic approach and philosophical outlook of many people who have read his works.

In 1946, Frankl began running the Vienna Polyclinic of Neurology where he remained till 1971. 1n 1955, Frankl became a visiting professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna, In addition this, Frankl also resided at Harvard University (1961), Southern Methodist University, Dallas (1966), and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (1972). Viktor Frankl spent a lot of time lecturing and conducting seminars all over the world and wrote and published more than 32 books. He has also been awarded 29 honorary degrees. For his significant contributions to religion and psychiatry, Frankl was awarded the Oskar Pfister Award in 1985.

A heart failure caused the death of Viktor Frankl on September 2, 1997.

[MysteRy]

Virginia Satir



The mother of family therapy, Virginia Satir was an American author and psychotherapist known for her significant works to the cause of family therapy. Her most well known and widely read books include Conjoint Family Therapy (1964), Peoplemaking (1972), and The New Peoplemaking, (1988). Virginia Satir is also the creator of the Virginia Satir Change Process Model, a psychological model developed through clinical studies. The model is still widely used by organizational gurus to define the impact of change.

A very bright child, Virginia Satir was born on June 26, 1916 in Neillsville, Wisconsin. She died on September 10, 1988. Virginia learned to read and write herself. She spent a curious childhood and from very early on in life understood that many people were not what they appeared to be. After moving to Milwaukee with her family, Satir undertook training at the Milwaukee State Teachers College while working side by side at Gimbel’s Department Store. Satir began her own private practice right after graduation. In a short span of a few years, Virginia was offered a position at the Illinois Psychiatric Institute where she addressed and taught the importance of dealing with the whole family during treatment instead of the individual client. Satir believed that problems of an individual stretched to the whole family and also stemmed from the family.

After spending several years at the Illinois Psychiatric Institute, Virginia Satir settled in California where she continued to work and focus on family therapy with like-minded colleagues. In California, Satir also founded the Mental Research Institute. Continuing to work for the cause of family therapy, Satir pioneered in conducting training sessions to specifically teach family therapy techniques. This led Virginia Satir to become the Training Director. Virginia used her expertise and experience to coordinate and deliver teachings of the program to psychologists throughout the United States.

All of Virginia Satir’s work is classified under the umbrella of Becoming More Fully Human. Virginia conceived the process and concept of Human Validation. Her approach to therapy was unique and from a new perspective. She did not believe in seeing a client’s issue as a problem. According to Virginia, a problem is the result of how a client copes with a particular issue, whether it is current or from the past. Based on the courses she delivered at the Mental Research Institute, Satir published the book, Conjoint Family Therapy. The book gained popularity and recognition all over the world making Virginia and her theories popular. Her achievements were also recognized by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Academy of Certified Social Workers.

Virginia Satir also created the Satir Change Process Model, a method of change derived from her own clinical experiences and trials. The model is widely used in the corporate world today to understand the effects of change. Devoting her life to helping people with mental problems, Virginia Satir created many organizations to bring people with similar issues together. These organizations include Beautiful People and the Avanta Network. The influence of Satir’s research and work can be seen even today in modern psychotherapy, neurolinguistics and family constellations.

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Wilhelm Wundt



The father of experimental psychology, Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist, physician, physiologist and professor. He is still known today to be amongst the founders of modern psychology. He was also the founder of the first formal psychological laboratory in 1879 at the University of Leipzig. He used the laboratory to identify abnormal behaviors, mental disorders as well as explore the nature of religious beliefs and find damaged parts of the brain. His research established psychology as a separate science. Wilhelm Wundt is also associated with founding the first psychological research journal in 1881. The asteroids 635 Vundita and 11040 were named after Wilhelm Wundt to honor him.

Wilhelm Wundt was born on August 16, 1832 in Neckarau, Baden. Wilhelm was the fourth child of Maximilian Wundt, a Lutheran minister and Marie Frederike. At four years of age, Wilhelm moved with his family to a small town known as Heidelsheim. From 1851 to 1856, Wundt studied at the University of Tübingen,University of Heidelberg, and the University of Berlin. After graduating with a degree in medicine from the University of Heidelberg, for a brief period of time, Wundt studied with Johannes Muller and later with the physicist Hermann von Helmholtz. His work during this time later cast a heavy influence in experimental psychology. In 1874, he published the Principles of Physiological Psychology which helped establish experimental procedures in psychological research. He then established the very first two experimental psychology labs while working at the University of Liepzig. Wilhelm Wundt died on August 31, 1920.

According to Wundt, psychology was a science of conscious experience and that if you became a trained observer, you could tell precisely about emotions, thoughts and feelings through a process he called introspection. Wilhelm Wundt’s name is also associated with structuralism, a theoretical perspective that describes the structures that compose the mind.

An extensive writer Wundt wrote keenly on a variety of subjects including physiology, philosophy, psycholinguistics, psychology and physics. Modern psychology has undoubtedly benefitted a lot from the works of Wilhelm Wundt produced from his 65 years long career. Some selected publications by Wilhelm Wundt include Beiträge zur Theorie der Sinneswahrnehmung (1862), Vorlesungen über die Menschen und Thierseele (1893) and Völkerpsychologie, 10 volumes (1900-1920). In recognition of Wundt’s work, the American Psychological Association established the Wilhelm Wundt-William James Award for Exceptional Contributions to Trans-Atlantic Psychology, which recognizes a significant record of trans-Atlantic research collaboration.

An exceptional teacher, Wundt taught many bright students. Many of his students including Edward Titchener, James McKeen Cattell, Charles Spearman, G. Stanley Hall, Charles Judd and Hugo Munsterberg became eminent psychologists in their own right.

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William Glasser



The American psychiatrist William Glasser introduced to the world of psychiatry the concepts of reality therapy and choice therapy. However, his ideas and thoughts about personal choice, personal transformation and personal responsibility are considered controversial by many mainstream psychiatrists who prefer prescribing psychotropic medications in order to treat mental disorders. William Glasser worked not only to treat individuals but also applied his theories to wide array of social issues including, marriage, education, management etc. Although being a psychiatrist himself, Glasser openly warned the general public to beware of traditional psychiatry because of its goal to diagnose people with mental illnesses and prescribe drugs when in reality the patient may only be behaving in a certain way out of unhappiness and not a mental disorder. Glasser suggested that mental health should also be considered a concern as a public health issue.

William Glasser was born on May 11, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Case Western Reserve University where he earned BA and MA degrees. Continuing his education, Glasser attended UCLA in California earning his MD. He began his professional career by working as a psychiatrist for the VA. During this time, Glasser met his mentor, Dr. G.L. Harrington. Glasser focused on and spent much of his time on the development of his own theories, specifically the Choice Theory. He studied the relationship between control and psychology as well as the effects of control which he observed during his own private practice with clients over decades. He investigated and analyzed how choices made by individuals affected other people and how every person has the power to make his/her own decisions and choices independently.

His contributions to the world of psychiatry include many influential books he co-authored. Many of these books focus on mental health, counseling, and the improvement of school teaching. Some other publications by Glasser advocate a public health approach to mental health versus a medical model. By the 1970’s William Glasser had compiled and named his body of work, Control Theory. By 1996, the theoretical structure evolved into a comprehensive body of work renamed Choice Theory.

William Glasser opened the Institute for Reality Therapy in 1967. The institute was renamed after its founder, Glasser three decades later. The institute still operates with many branches worldwide offering education and training and also latest advancements in Glasser’s theories and therapies. Today, the Glasser institute is is organized with regional groups in New England, the Sunbelt, and the West Coast in the United States. In July, 2010, the William Glasser Association International was set up which consists of an interim governing body responsible for setting up and coordinating activities and conferences worldwide. Outside the USA, the Glasser Institute has active independent national organizations in Canada, the UK, throughout Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Today, William Glasser’s Reality Therapy has become a globally recognized, accepted and effective technique for improving relationships and satisfying needs in relationships.

[MysteRy]

William James



William James was an American philosopher and psychologist. He was also a trained physician. James was the first educator in history to offer a course in psychology in the United States. He once said, “The first lecture on psychology I ever heard being the first I ever gave”. He also authored many influential books on the still young and developing fields of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism.

James was born into a family that encouraged cosmopolitanism in education. His father, Henry James Sr. was a noted and independently wealthy Swedenborgian theologian. His brother, Henry James was a novelist and their sister Alice James, a diarist. William James enrolled at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University to pursue an education in science. In 1864, he began medical studies at Harvard Medical School. Later, in the spring of 1865, William took a break from studies to join the naturalist, Louis Agassiz on a scientific expedition through the Amazon River.

However, he had to withdraw from the trip after 8 months due to seasickness and smallpox. He then travelled to Germany searching for a cure to an illness he encountered in April 1867. It was during this period that he started publishing his early works. Also during his time in Germany, William James realized that his true interests lay in psychology and philosophy instead of medicine. Although he finally completed his M.D in 1869, James never practiced medicine. In 1878, William James married Alice Gibbens.

Spending almost his entire academic career at Harvard, James also took up teaching courses of anatomy, psychology, physiology and philosophy. He taught at Harvard for 35 years. After retiring from Harvard in 1907, James continued to write, publish and lecture mostly on Pragmatism, A Pluralistic Universe, and The Meaning of Truth. During his last years, James suffered cardiac pain. He sought treatment in Europe but they were unsuccessful. On August 26, 1910, William James died of a heart failure. He was buried in the family plot in Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

William James was a huge advocate of the concept of Pragmatism on which he wrote considerably. He believed that the truth of an idea can never be proven. James proposed we instead focus on what he called the cash value, or usefulness, of an idea. Opposing structuralism, William James believed in functionalism. He did not agree to the concepts of introspection and breaking down mental events to the smallest elements but believed in the wholeness of an event, taking into the impact of the environment on behavior. In addition to this, William James also proposed and approved the James-Lange Theory of Emotion.

While his contributions to the field of psychology are many, his classic textbooks including The Principles of Psychology (1890) and Psychology: The Briefer Course (1892) were and still are studied widely by psychology students all over the world. Many of James’ students including Mary Whiton Calkins, Edward Thorndike, G. Stanley Hall and John Dewey all went on to become influential names in the field of psychology.